Repair,Re Power, Re Boat

[Bud Kennedy]

For the past few years I have been forced to make decisions about what to do with my old outboard motor.  Being a fairly frugal person my tendency is to go with the least expensive solution.  Truth is that this might not always be the correct action.

Decisions about boat repair expenses can be directly related to ones particular status.  I for one am a retired person and currently am 71 years old.  Although time on the water is limited compared to the distant past, it is still a very important part of our lives.  At my age thoughts do turn towards the question with no answer of just how long are we going to keep bass fishing.  The logical answer is that as long as I possibly am able.  The practical answer is that we don't know how long that will be.  Life can be uncertain.  The reality of aging only suggests change is inevitable but it does not come with an end date.  That, my friends is up to you.  As some folks like to say "Your mileage may vary".

Currently the outboard has some issues.  I believe most likely it is fuel related and should not represent a huge expense.  The operative word here is should.  If this is true then a longer-range plan should be formulated.  We have all heard it said that it is cheaper to repair a problem then to buy a new replacement.  That may be true in some cases but does present some issues for an old geezer in a boat.  It becomes increasingly important to be sure your motor is reliable and won't leave you stranded somewhere on a lake or waterway.

The situation now calls for repair.  My plan is once the repair is made in an effort to salvage the summer, I may elect to repower my boat with a new motor.  Although my boat is old is suits me just fine and even with it's battle scars it does not have any real problems that cannot be taken care off.  The cost of a new or like new boat is just too prohibitive for a retired person's budget.  If I were a lot younger and still working for a living then the decision would be to just go get a new boat.  Unfortunately that is not the situation.

Currently I want to re power my existing boat.  It makes sense to me to want a power plant that provides the economy of today's technology and of course a period of years for warranty coverage.  The new motor will also provide dependable performance with a much better chance of not experiencing a total motor failure.  My current thoughts are to go with an Evinrude 150HP HO.  I make this choice because there are plenty of locations in the area that provide service of this product by dealers that I know and trust.  I have looked at the Mercury products and they too would be a great choice but would cost a bit more but until the time to purchase arrives they will remain on my list as a possible source.  Good dealer network in this area and of course the Mercury reputation cannot be denied.  For this purchase I am looking at $10K to $15K as a target cost to include rigging and gauges if needed.

The optimum decision would be just to go purchase another rig.  Considering that I would want a new or nearly new rig the cost escalates dramatically.  A new Ranger RT188 equipped properly would cost about $27K while a similar size glass boat will cost in the area of $40K.  This is not possible for a retired income but for a person still working and lots of time to keep working it is may be possible.

Many of us have had to struggle with decisions about their boating needs.  The circumstances are certainly variable depending upon life status.  Although I don't want to spend a lot of money it is obvious that I am not ready to give up my bass fishing addiction.  It would be easy to just sell everything and give up on this whole fishing thing but that is not acceptable.  I want to continue going to the water as long as it is safe to do so.  Besides, I am still looking for my first double-digit bass and I know it is out there somewhere just waiting for my next cast.  If I should finally get my first double digit bass then I want to have a boat that will last long enough to let me go look for another big one.

[Princeton_Man]

Rumor has it you have gold bricks buried in the yard.... Go ahead and dig up a couple and get that new Ranger. 

[Princeton_Man]

Seriously though, I've been very happy with my re-power decision. At the time, I got 6 years of warranty and no required maintenance for 3 years or 300 hours. Now! Now Evinrude is giving a 10 year warranty!  I can say I have had no regrets with my decision.

Of course, I didn't have the option to wait either. I've been talking with the Ranger dealer down Rick's way and learned that I can buy the RT198P without a power option and they'll rig it with my Etec. That brings down the price of retirement boat and I can sell my Stratos hull with the whatever I leave on it.

I've kicked around the idea that I could just sell it, apply the $$ I get for it towards a new rig too. I still have a few years to decide but having even a year's warranty remaining on the motor would make a sale much easier.

[Donald Garner]

I've been thinking about this same issue Re-Power or buy new.  Presently I don't have any issues that require me to take that kind of action.  I really don't fish that much but if it comes down to it I'm leaning toward just Re-powering my Stratos.  Yamahas are pretty popular here in Central Texas.  I can get into a new 150 SHO between $10 - 15,000.  This includes new gauges and cables etc.

Of course my other option is just sell the Stratos and fish out of my G3.  Its fully rigged out also.  The only draw back is its NOT A BIG WATER Boat 

Bud good luck with the decision.

[Mike Cork]

Hang in their Bud. You just got a new power head. That could last 20 years. This current problem could be very simple...

I do understand that your confidence in your current power plant is waning and that is very important to have when on the water, especially a tidal river system like you have in your back yard.

If you re power keep in mind you don't tournament fish. The goal is to get there and get back. A 115 HP could save a lot towards a monthly bill. You won't do 62 but you could get over 50 if a storm was on your tail. This could save you money towards an extended warranty as well. 10 years of no hassle warranty is as good as those gold bricks in the back yard.